For Your Child

Moms-To-Be Can Eat Apples To Ward off Asthma in Offspring

An apple a day while you are pregnant may indeed keep the doctor away. But the real beneficiary could be your unborn child, say researchers in the journal Thorax.

Recent research suggests that when moms-to-be eat apples during pregnancy, their children have lower rates of asthma.

And, mothers who eat fish during pregnancy may lower their child's risk of developing the allergic skin condition called eczema.

"There are influences that occur in utero that can have lasting impact," says Dr. Jennifer Appleyard, at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. "More and more, we're finding influences for later health develop earlier than we anticipated."

More than 20 million Americans have asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and over 6 million of those are children.

Eczema, which is sometimes called atopic dermatitis, is an allergic condition that makes the skin dry and itchy. It is most common in babies and children.

Antioxidants and Flavonoids in Apples

Dutch researchers recently followed 1,253 children from before birth to age five.

Their mothers completed food questionnaires during their pregnancies, and their children's health was assessed with a symptom questionnaire. The children's diets were also assessed.

Women who consumed the most apples during pregnancy - more than four a week - had children who were 37 percent less likely to have ever wheezed than children of mothers who had the lowest consumption of apples during pregnancy.

Additionally, youngsters born to apple-loving moms were 46 percent less likely to have asthma symptoms and 53 percent less likely to have doctor-confirmed asthma than those whose mothers did not eat the fruit.

The mechanism behind apples' apparent protective effect needs further study, but may have something to do with the flavonoids and other antioxidants contained in apples, says Dr. Devang Doshi, director of pediatric allergy and immunology at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

The study also found that mothers who ate fish more than once a week had children who were 43 percent less likely to have eczema than women who never ate fish.

"This was a good study, but we need a lot more evidence still," say Dr. Doshi, who pointed out that the children in the study generally had well-balanced, nutritious diets, and that may have played a role as well.

Avoid Nuts, Peanuts, and Shellfish

So, what is a pregnant woman to do?

"The general consensus is that women should consume a good, well-balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and not to overindulge in any one food," says Dr. Doshi.

Dr. Appleyard recommends avoiding nuts, peanuts, and shellfish while you are pregnant to reduce the risk of your child developing a food allergy.

While this advice applies to everyone, it may be even more important for those with a family history of allergies. Dr. Appleyard adds that women who are vegetarians have to weigh the risks and benefits of following such dietary restrictions.

Dr. Appleyard agrees that prenatal nutrition is an area that needs a lot more research and suggests that pregnant women might want to "pick your foods wisely, because what you're eating today may not only nourish your body, but may have an impact on your baby's future health."